| At only 18 years of age, Jorge Fernandez Gates can | | | | Using the radio as a key listening and comprehension |
| speak, read and write in 11 foreign languages. They | | | | development resource "to help accustom your ear to |
| are not all related languages either. Some already | | | | the pronunciation of the language"o Using the internet |
| under his belt include Mandarin Chinese, Catalan, | | | | to listen and study foreign languages |
| Galician, English, French, German, Swedish, Romanian, | | | | A major concern he has had was that "one day his |
| Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch. | | | | brain would explode" from the constant linguistic input |
| Not only that, but Jorge only started learning foreign | | | | or that he would linguistically get "his wires crossed" |
| languages a little over 5 years ago, which means he's | | | | and become totally confused. A neurologist he |
| been "picking up" a foreign lingo at the rate of two | | | | consulted assured him that "there are no limits" to |
| foreign languages per year. His goal is to get into the | | | | the brain's capacity to take in and store knowledge. |
| Guinness Book of Records by mastering at least 25 | | | | Jorge Fernandez gives these "keys" as essential to |
| foreign languages. | | | | his linguistic accomplishments:o Learn the foreign |
| Already recognized as the "youngest polyglot in | | | | language grammar "forwards and backwards"o |
| Peru", in several interviews given primarily in his native | | | | Acquire a basis vocabulary of high-frequency words |
| Spanish, he discusses some techniques he (and you) | | | | and phraseso Never stop augmenting new vocabulary |
| can use to develop fluency in whatever foreign | | | | in your new language - He tries to learn at least two |
| language you're striving to acquire. | | | | new words each dayo Practice your new language |
| He says, "For me, foreign language learning is a | | | | with friends, language teachers or whomever you |
| hobby, I can't control it, at any moment I could open | | | | can regularly |
| a dictionary to look up a new word for my | | | | And just what started it all? |
| vocabulary." | | | | "I'm not a good student and as punishment my |
| His principal ally in the quest to master enough foreign | | | | Mother decided to take away my cell phone and |
| languages to make the Guinness Book of Records is | | | | prohibited me from chatting online. I couldn't go out, |
| the internet which he credits with up to 70% of his | | | | so to keep from spending the entire day sleeping I |
| foreign language learning success. | | | | enrolled in a French course." Then things began to |
| He cites in particular Radio Bucharest online at: | | | | change for him. "I liked it and decided to take Italian |
| ( that features both live and pre-recorded radio | | | | too." He later discovered a course in Romanian on the |
| programming in 38 European and Asian languages as | | | | internet and "loved it". |
| well as 18 African continental languages, and online | | | | To "prove" his language abilities, family members |
| language courses as aids in helping him to familiarize | | | | have gone with him to Chinese restaurants to have |
| himself with foreign languages. | | | | him converse with the cook and contacted TV |
| Other tactics he has frequently employed include:o | | | | programs and foreign language professors to verify |
| Talking with the staff in ethnic restaurantso Watching | | | | his linguistic skills in other languages. |
| television programs in or about target languageso | | | | |
